Welcome to the first installment of my weekly series Fresh Friday where I’ll display my love of all things multicolored, retro, and insane. Every week I’ll curate my favorite fresh (read: new and cheeky) and refreshed (read: vintage) fashion. Stay tuned for clothing that doesn’t just push the envelope, but pelt it with jewel-toned vintage handbags.

September is a major month in the fashion calendar, so I’ve had lots to sift through from recent fashion weeks around the world. Dolce & Gabbana managed to seduce me the hardest with ensembles that make me wonder if these guys inception’d me: dresses splashed with giant vegetables, pasta earrings, rainbow jewels, and 60s silhouettes galore.

Fresh: Rainbow, bejeweled, corseted one-piece from Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2012 ready to wear collection

Dolce and Gabbana Spring 2012

Refresh: 1950s photo of model and actress Elaine Stewart posing in a similarly skirted, detailed lace corset

 
Elaine Stewart

Marc By Marc Jacobs 'Bronte' Lace Top, Nordstrom, $398

“What are you wearing?!” My sister was shocked to see me in a charcoal, long-sleeve, full-back lace top. I guess it was astonishing to her that I was wearing something so “scandalous”. Yes the whole back of the top was lace and my bra was showing but I didn’t care because there was nothing wrong about wearing it. I personally love lace tops because I think you can wear them in many different ways. There is a variety of styles of lace tops from semi-lace shoulders, full lace, tight lace tops, cropped lace tops, and many more. It’s also fun to wear colorful and bright options underneath them- even if it’s your bra. It’s a personal choice how one wants to wear their lace tops, dresses, or even leggings. I mean isn’t that the sole purpose of fashion- wearing what YOU want when YOU want. There shouldn’t be specific rules when it comes to how one wants to wear something and the outfit they have in mind.

In addition, I want to characterize my personal style but I really can’t because I have tried so many styling options and it still doesn’t feel like enough. There are so many possibilities out there to be creative and you don’t need to label yourself. When I wear my lace top, I usually pair it with denim and converse to give it a more causal vibe. I can also dress it up by tucking in the shirt into high-waist paints, adding a sleek belt, and slipping on vibrant blue heels. It all depends on my mood, where I am going, and most importantly if I feel comfortable.

Nevertheless, I would like to tackle the issue of how lacey clothing items can be seen as racy. I understand why some may assume that lace is too provocative and if young girls wear them or even reveal their bras they are promiscuous. This assumption is absolutely ridiculous because based on what one is wearing you can’t believe that they are either a good or bad person. The way one wears clothes and the way they behave are not correlated in way to make such conclusions about their character. To end on a good note, lace is amazing and gorgeous. I think it gives one the opportunity to try new looks with one key piece, which is always a good thing.

Nanette Lepore Usual Suspect Lace Dress, Neiman Marcus, $398

Last fall, I was able to take advantage of an opportunity to study in a country that is awesome in every sense of the word: Australia. The Australian take on fashion really resonated with me and I find myself often incorporating it into my personal style now that I'm back stateside. Aussie model Abbey Lee Kershaw summed it up well in an interview for Australian mag Cleo when asked what she misses most about Oz by saying, "I miss walking barefoot in Melbourne." Along the lines of that sentiment, I view the Australian way of dressing as sort of floaty, earthy, and laid-back but conversely also having a tough edge. While we usually pair summer sandals with our pretty shorts and dresses, Australians are far more likely to have on socks and lace-up boots or beat-up sneakers, even with the frilliest of frocks. Sort of like if you were to wear your laciest beach coverup with men's workboots for a walk from Bondi to Coogee (google image search for reference. . breathtaking). 

Australian celebrities such as Miranda Kerr, Gemma Ward, and Sophie Monk are all familiar faces in the US whose styles of dressing seem to embody the Aussie laid-back lifestyle, but none to the degree of Australian model Isabel Lucas in particular. She'll often be seen complementing her relaxed sundresses with a hippie-chic headband or a menswear hat, along with a no-fuss satchel and those unexpectedly (and unnecessarily--is she really going for a hike in her best dress?) sturdy leather boots. Queens of juxtaposition, Aussie girls will also let their most tattered old sneakers stand in for the boots at times, which of course are coupled with flowy skirts or their prettiest paisley blouses. 

There are three brands that I fell irrevocably in love with whilst abroad that I think stateside fashionistas should be familiar with: MINKPINK, sass & bide, and Tigerlily. Fortunately, said brands are all available in the US (online if not in boutiques) and I've listed a few choice pieces from each below (many of them on sale!). For those who are taken with the Australian way of mixing boho/flirty silhouettes with earth-toned/sturdy extras, I've also included the shopping links so you can snag some Aussie swag yourself. 

MINKPINK 

1. MINKPINK Mozambique Flare Tank, shopbop.com, $30

2. MINKPINK Darling Buds of May Sundress, shopbop.com, $103 (sale $51.50)

3. MINKPINK Drama Queen Lace Vest, shopbop.com, $28.50

sass & bide

1. sass & bide Keeping My Freedom Top, shopbop.com, $133

2. sass & bide Getting It Right Shirtdress, shopbop.com, $429 (sale $128.70)

3. sass & bide The Same Answers Tunic, shopbop.com, $165 (sale $82.50)

Tigerlily

1. Tigerlily Elba Jacket, tigerlilyaustralia.com, $161

2. Tigerlily Consuelo 1PC Monokini, tigerlilyaustralia.com, $94.50

3. Tigerlily Odyssey Shirt Dress, tigerlilyaustralia.com, $100

4. Tigerlily Equator Mumu, tigerlilyaustralia.com, $75

5. Tigerlily Varadero Dress, tigerlilyaustralia.com, $110

The color blocking trend has been shaken and stirred for fall style. Instead of matching bright pants with an equally bright top, designers are color blocking bright colors next to each other on the same top and possibly in multiple different materials. While layering a lace top with a wool sweater over a cotton tank was once ideal, having each material sewn together on one very fabulous top can now be seen strutting the catwalk. This will not only take the time getting dressed in half it also will eliminate several layering items from your wardrobe. Thus, more time in the morning and more space in your closet. So keep an eye out for the cotton long sleeve with lace detailing, silk sleeves and maybe fur trim and go for it!

Tory Burch has never been afraid of mixing bold prints but in one simple plaid jacket a leather collar and trim compliment a warm wool coat with half fur sleeves.

Tory Burch Fall 2011

Here Oscar de la Renta mixes wool, fur and silk for warm, fashionably fall ensemble.

Oscar de la Renta Fall 2011

When it comes to textures this fall, the more the merrier – preferably on one fabulous piece.

So on Facebook the other day, my friend was lamenting on her status about how she went to a beauty salon for a simple eyebrow threading, but left with each eyebrow cut in half! How tragic is that?! Eyebrows are the most important features since they frame and define your face so they best be full and trimmed! But I’m sure that every girl encounters this fiasco sometime in her life. I once tweezed away the fronts of my eyebrows in the 6th grade and had a “deer-in-the-headlights” look for the longest time. Same goes for haircuts gone horribly wrong, where you looked closely in the mirror and saw that instead of trimming two inches, she hacked off five, as well as taking the liberty of snipping in some bangs that you never asked for. 8th grade.

Luckily, there are many things we can do to quickly grow back the hair that had been unjustly stolen from us! The foods we eat deeply affect the rate of our hair growth. Since hair is made up of mostly protein, eating protein-enriched foods will make hair grow long and strong: chicken, eggs, fish, soy products, beans, whole grains, sunflower, and seeds. Dark green veggies like spinach and broccoli contain vitamins A and C, which helps your body produce sebum, an oily substance that secrets from hair follicles and conditions the hair. Other important minerals for hair growth are biotin, zinc, and silica, and the supplements can be found at any GNC or health food store.

A scalp massage is very beneficial for hair since it brings blood flow and circulation to the hair follicles, feeding them with the nutrients for growth. It is also important to remove scalp residue for it clogs the follicles; try rinsing it with equal parts water and apple cider vinegar. In addition, trimming your ends will keep your hair long. It has always been a myth and recent research has indeed shown that splits ends do not affect hair growth whatsoever. It makes sense since they are at the bottom of the strands and growth begins at the scalp. However, the longer you wait for a trim, the higher the split end will travel and at last you will have to end up cutting off those ends, and who knows how short your hair will end up?

Lastly, castor oil is a great promoter for hair growth when applied directly to the roots and scalp. It has long been used in alternative health care to treat baldness or hair thinning. This can be achieved by rubbing the oil onto the scalp, covering it with a plastic cap and towel, letting it sit for 15-30 minutes, and rinsing. But try to avoid the rest of your hair because the thick substance can be hard to rinse out. Castor oil also has a conditioning effect, so I apply them onto my eyelashes after I take off my makeup at night. So try these tips and tricks and watch your beautiful locks grow!